Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center, Mississippi -- The 136th Airlift Wing tested its readiness capabilities during Operation Neptune Star, the name assigned to the Combat Readiness Inspection (CRI) that took place from Dec. 5 - 8, 2025. The CRI consisted of over 400 Airmen deploying to a simulated environment located at Gulfport Training Command Center in Gulfport, Mississippi. A total of seven C-130J Super Hercules aircraft were involved in the exercise and flew numerous transportation and tactical air drop sorties. In addition to this, Airmen were subjected to training scenarios that tested their operational capabilities.
Operational management, AFSC proficiency, and threat response were the primary focus of the inspection.
Col. Chris Cornette, commander 136th Airlift Wing, perfectly summed up the purpose of the CRI saying "At the end of the day what matters is that we're ready to fight whenever called upon."